I havn't played diablo 2 in a long time and I figured I'd get back in the game now, just in time for the new ladder to start!
However, I would like to make a MF sorc to start with but I'm not quite sure what specc to go after.
I've been reading the forums (and some others aswell, sorry!) and it's obvious that the meteorb is the one to go for. However, reading the patch notes we've all seen that hydra is getting a boost. Hydra was viable before so this boost should put her up to the challenge!

My question is, is the hydrorb "just as good" as the meteorb for MFing everywhere? Or potentially better?
They both seem viable, but I cannot calculate which one would give out more dps or be more versatile since they behave in a different way. The numbers from talent calculators are hard to go by since I'm not sure how to compare them. Obviously the hydra would hit more often each target so it would be more efficient on individual targets, especially bosses. But the meteor would be better for many targets (assuming one can aim). Either way, the orb is there for backup.

Obviously this is very much to personal preferences, but I would still appreciate comments and thoughts on the speccs and any numbers you have on this.

Thank you in advanced!!

P.s. Also thoughts on mercs for the different speccs (remember, this is not a twinked sorc).

Vs. bosses, Meteorb's still better. Hydraorb has 2 timered spells, whereas Meteorb has a viable FB to cast while Meteor or FO is on cooldown. Anytime you cast FO, it means giving up one more simultaneous Hydra on-screen for a casting cycle.

Same, really, vs areas...it'd just be slower than if you had a viable non-timered spell. Same drawback with Firewall builds. Meteor isnt that good for areas, either, since it takes so long to go off that monsters either run away from the AoE, or they're already dead by the time it hits. Meteorb is really just a clever name, its actually played more like a FB/Orb sorc.

I think Hydra will find more utility in HC builds, since it can shoot ahead and around corners and shoot while you're TPing safely around.

Sorc merc, I always say Prayer/Insight, which isnt twinked at all. Infinity's your other option when you can get it.

I haven't played hydra-orb in 1.13 but previously I've started laddeers with one and done quite well. Hydra-orb does also have a fireball and has an enchant to help her merc do more damage. Hydras also have an advantage of continuing to do damage as you teleport around. As for giving up a hydra if you cast orb, the only time you want to cast orb is at the beginning of a battle to chill the monsters then just cast your hydras. Unless there are fire immunes of course. In previous patches hydra-orb with decent gear killed quickly.

Anyways, with 3 respects from the Den quests and the ability to farm essenses from Act bosses to cube more respecs you can try out any build and respec if you don't like it.

I recently built one such Hydra/Orb sorc. I got her up to level 72, gave her a full Tal's Set to try out, then effectively gave up on her.

Hydra, on paper, appeared to be an incredibly effective skill. Each Hydra casts 3 bolts/second, and with 5 Hydras out, you effectively get 15 times the listed damage each second, in addition to whatever damage you can squeeze out of your Fireballs and Frozen Orbs during the cool-down time. Additionally, it's very safe to use, and between it and Orb, you basically have two skills that can kill huge numbers of enemies without even seeing them.

In practice, I found Hydra to be incredibly annoying. The Hydra timer conflicts with your Orb timer, so you basically have to choose between using Orb/Fireball spam and Hydra/Fireball spam in any given fight.

While the damage of 5x Hydras looks impressive, it takes 10-freaking-seconds to get all of them all running. I found, in general, that I could cut down any group using Orb+half-synergized Fireball in substantially less time than it would take Hydras to do the same job.

Hydra's auto-targeting was cute in Nightmare; it makes the skill borderline-useless in Hell. Hydras don't care if they're shooting Fire Immunes or not, so for Pit runs and other such areas, I had to just Orb/Fireball everything to make sure my damage got to where it needed to go.

Also, a Meteorb sorceress has either a better-synergized Orb or a better-synergized Fireball than a Hydra sorc. Even with maxed Hydra, I found the lower damage/better game mechanics of those skills to be more useful than the Hydra itself, so I think I'll go with that when I rebuild the character.

Based on my experiences, I can think of 2 uses for Hydra:

1. You want ultimate safety. Hydra can kill non-FI monsters from well off-screen. However, I really think a Trapsin serves this role much better; their traps can be fully operational in under 2 seconds, and they already deal 3 kinds of damage to mixed groups, so immunes are less of a problem for them.

2. You want to focus on boss-killing. In a protracted battle against solely non-FI targets, Hydra works pretty well.

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While the lower timer on Hydra will help out its damage a bit, I'm not convinced that it's enough to counteract the skill's most annoying facets. I'd still consider using Hydra on a pure fire sorceress, but I'll never make a Hydra hybrid again.

I tried hydra-orb and I absolutely hated having to use 2 timered spells. No thanks.

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I like hydra build, but it's strong hydra (~3k-4k *), weak orb (~300) and strong merc (not that insight merc). IM gone, Chaos (1-3 players) or Baal(1-max players) are no problem anymore. Other areas are main target anyway, those areas are just to test merc or play together with friend.

Never tried good meteorb.

*) aiming little higher in new ladder, not sure how much boost hydra get, but goal is over 5k (4.5k was highest I got in this ladder).

In practice, I found Hydra to be incredibly annoying. The Hydra timer conflicts with your Orb timer, so you basically have to choose between using Orb/Fireball spam and Hydra/Fireball spam in any given fight.

While the damage of 5x Hydras looks impressive, it takes 10-freaking-seconds to get all of them all running. I found, in general, that I could cut down any group using Orb+half-synergized Fireball in substantially less time than it would take Hydras to do the same job.

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QFE

I really don't see how hydra is anything but a cute novelty build you can try if you're bored and you've done them all. You could probably run single, stationary targers like meph with ease but meteorb can do it and everything else at least as quickly and safely.

So the general concent is that FireBall/orb sorcs are the best overall, with a nice meteor to add to boss fights. But doesn't this build require high level of gear seing as fireball sucks mana like crazy?

The builds I'm concidering look as follows:
20 FO and ~8 CM for both builds

From what you guys are saying the FB would be better then meteor, so #3 > #2 for overall fights (except still standing bosses maybe) assuming you have the mana for it.
This leaves #1 vs #3. I guess I will have to try them out in the end.

Let's say I go for max Fireball (#3), what level of gear are we talking about here? Maybe more specifically, what items? Would I need to place points in energy to make this viable until I reach that gear level and will I need it even with that gear?

fb doesnt take as much mana as blizzard, 16-20 mana per cast is annoying when you dont have spirit sword / spirit monarch / insight merc. dual spirit adds you about 200 mana, with +4 skills. amulet ideally would be +2sorc, but +1 sorc amulet should be found by the end of nm, peasant crown is a ruller for mid level caster (budget wise) with +1 skills vita and energy as adds, but any item with + sorc / sorc's skill tree hat should be avaliable to gamble from act3 normal iirc. that around 6-8 skills already, with mana pool of at least 400 (meaning 20 fb's+ and gg mana regen) you shouldnt have any mana problems.